Cattle marker with means to limit the swinging movement of the marker plate



Feb. 15, 1949. w. F. SCHACHT 7 2,461,777

" CATTLE MARKER WITH MEANS TO LIMIT THE- SWINGING MOVEMENT OF THE MARKER PLATE 2 Shee-tsSheet 1 Filed Sept; 27, 1944 Feb. 15, 1949. w. F. SCHACHT' 2,461,777

CATTLE MARKER WITH MEANS 1'0 LIMIT THE SWINGING MOVEMENT OF THE MARKER PLATE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 27. 1944 Patented Feb. 15, 1949 CATTLE MARKER WITH. EME'ANS. T LIMIT.

MOVEMENT OF THE THE .SWINGI-NG MARKERv PLATE William F. Schacht, Huntington, Ind.-; William J. :Schacht, executor of said William F. Schacht, deceased, assignor to William Schacht, II, and Robert W. Schach-t, both of- Huntington,

ApplicatiomSeptember 27, 1944, Serial No. 556,014

2 Claims.

JZhis invention isa novel improvement in cattle markers, comprising'a chain adapted to encircle the. horns or. neck of the. livestock, said chain carrying amarker plate, whereby farmers, herds-- men, or operators can. readily identify same, the present invention being an improvement upon thecattle markers shown. in my U. S. Letters Patents Nos. 2,327,823., dated August 24, 1943; 2,327,824, datedAugust 24., 194.3; 2,345,292, dated March. 28, 1944; and 2,345,293, dated March 28, 19.44, and the markers shown in my Eatent. No;

2,354,617,. dated July. 25,. 1:944, and Patent N0}. 2,383,419,. dated Aprilv 21, 1945.

of my novel horn. chain. marker applied to the.

head of a horned animal.

Fig. 2; is: an enlarged front plan view of the marker plate assembly shown in Fig. 1, and the adjacent link of the chain.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the assembly shown in Fig. 2.

Fight is: a rear-elevation of: the assembly shown in Fig. 2;

Fig.5is-ap1an. view of amodified marker plate assembly.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation. of the: assembly shown n Fi 5. 1

Fig. 7 is a plan View of. a still further modified marker plate assembly.

.Fig- 8 is aside; elevation of the: assembly shown. in Fig. 7.

Fig, .9; is; a detail showing the. means for securing. the. horn.- chain. around the horns of the. animal.

Fi .10. is afront elevation of a. further modifled marker plate assembly.

2 spaced horns of an animal, said :chain having 'a hook in :(Fig. 9") at one end adapted to be engaged. in a link adjacent the other end of thechain and closed, said hook la allowing for adiustability of the chain to suit diiierent sizes of necks or spacing of horns of various livestock. When used as a horn marker a portion of the chain 1 overlies the forehead of the animal; and centered upon the forehead of the animal is a marker plate- 2 bearing indicia such as 25, said plate being secured to a link of chain l by means of a double hook 3, the upper eye of which is engaged in one of the links of chain I so as to be non-shiftable thereon.

The marker plate 2 is shown as being substantially elliptical in shape and bearing indicia 21; on its front face, said plate having a shank 21) extending from its upper edge of substantial width and being provided with a perforation 20 therein spaced from the upper edge, said perforation receiving'the lower eye 3a of double hook 3. Shank 2b of the plate is provided with spaced tongues at opposite sides of perforation 2c rolled forwardly to form eyes 2d so spaced with respect to the lower eye 3a of double hook 3 that the plate 2" is prevented from upturning due to the offset weight of said eyes 211, and said plate Zis limited as to'sidewise swinging movement in-the eye 3a of hook 3 since the eyes 211 of the shank 21) would engage the sides of the eye 3a. The above design of shank 2b and the eyes 2d thus tendsv to maintain marker plate 2 in proper centered position upon the forehead of the animal, as shown in Fig. 1, where the marker is used as a horn marker.

A washer In is engaged in the lower eye 3a of" double hook 3 normally lying behind the marker plate 2, as .shown in Figs. 3-4.; and depending from washer m is a double hook 8 having its lower eye 8b passed through a perforation 9a in asupplemental plate e which bears indic-ia 9Z2,

such as 3" or other markings, to indicate the particular month in which the animal was born. The supplemental plate 9 itself is of distinctive color corresponding with the color of the corresponding supplemental plateon the marker worn In practice the supplemental marker plate 9 might be sold to the herdsman separately from the remainder of the cattle marker assembly, or it may be sold attached to the marker. The supplemental markers 9 would be sold with different indicia thereon. Where sold separately, all the herdsman need do is to attach the upper eye 8a of the double hook 8 in the washer II] or the hook 8 could be engaged in a link of chain I, or in any other convenient location in the marker assembly.

With markers heretofore used, when calves were born and when cows were bred, it has been found difficult for the herdsman to recall their particular sires. In large herds it is almost impossible to keep accurate records as to when the cows were bred to certain bulls, and therefore many cows and calves have heretofore been lost by the herdsman not knowing when the cow was ready to freshen. By use of-my supplemental marker plate system however the herdsman is enabled without records to breed his stock systematically and properly. For instance, a particular bull, in addition to the regular indicia on his main marker plate 2, would also carry a supplemental marker plate 9 of distinctive color. There are always more than two bulls in practically every herd and sometimes many more. For one bull, the color of his supplemental marker plate 9 may be red. When a cow is bred to the bull having a red supplemental marker 9, that cow would carry this same color (red) on its supplemental marker plate 9. If the cow was bred in January, it bears the indicia #1; if bred in February the indicia would be #2, and so forth. Thus the supplemental marker plate 9 indicates the month by number. A second bull would carry a different colored supplemental plate 9, such as yellow, black, etc., and the supplemental marker 9 of each cow bred to it would carry the same color, and the number of the month in which she was bred. When calves are born from a certain sire each calf would carry a supplemental marker 9 of the same color as the sire, and would bear the number of the month in which it was born, such as if the calf was born in May. Thus when these calves are in the field the herdsman can tell at a glance in what month it was born, and from which sire it was bred. After the calf is old enough to be bred the marker 9 designating its sire is discarded and a new marker 9 is added to designate the bull to which the calf is bred. Referring to the cows that are bred by different sires, the herdsman will know at a glance when these cows are to I freshen, thus often saving the life of the cow and its calves,

In the modification shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the marker plate 2, supplemental plate 9, washer W, the horn chain i, and the double hooks 3 and 8 are similar in all respects to that shown in Figs. 1 to 4. However, in this modification a closed ring 7 is also engaged in the lower eye 3a. of double hook 3 in rear of the marker plate 2, said ring being of suificient size to receive the snap of a halter strap (not shown) so that the animal may be tied in a stall or in fixed grazing position, said ring l obviating the necessity of the herdsman providing the livestock with the usual expensive leather halter at present commonly employed. Preferably the ring I normally lies behind the marker plate 2, but said plate may be tilted sufficiently in eye 3a to permit engagement or disengagement of the snap of the halter strap .in ring 1. Also, ring 1 acts as a weight to keep claims.

4 marker plate 2 in place or centered on the animals forehead.

In Figs. 7-8 inclusive, the marker plate 2, washer ill, supplemental plate 9, double hooks 3 and 8, and ring 1 are identical in all respects with that shown in Figs. 5-6, but in this modification the chain l is passed through the ring 1 instead of through the upper eye of double hook 3, which latter has its lower eye 3a dropped down between the spaced eyes 2d of the shank of plate 2, the offset weight of eye 3a further serving to keep the plate 2 from up-ending in the double hook 3. Ring 1 being loosely and shiftably mounted on the horn chain I, the combined weight of the plate 2, supplemental plate 9, washer l0 and double hooks 3 and 8 tend to keep the ring I centered on the animals forehead.

In Figs. 1011-12, a further modification is shown in which the double hook 3 is engaged in a link of chain l, and in its lower eye 3a is suspended the ring 7. The marker plate 2 is suspended from the ring 1 by having its spaced eyes 2d hooked over the upper portion of ring l at opposite sides of the hook 3, said plate 2 normally lying in front of ring I as shown in Fig. 10. This construction obviates the necessity of having to provide the hole 20 in the shank 2b of plate 2 as in Figs. 1-8 inclusive. In Figs. 10-12 the eyes 2d are shown as closed against the shank 2?), while in Fig. 13 the eyes are shown partly open, it being unnecessary to close the, eyes tightly as the eyes cannot become disengaged from the ring unless nearly fully opened. Thus there is little likelihood of the marker plates 2 becoming lost due to opening of eyes 2d in this type of marker assembly.

In Fig. 12 the supplemental marker plate 9- is shown suspended fromthe ring I by the double hook 8, the ring i thus serving as a convenient support for the supplemental marker 9 as well as serving to receive a halter strap snap, and the ring l gives weight to the assembly to maintain same in centered position on the neck or horn chain l. The hook it of supplemental plate 9 however could be inserted in any other part of the assembly, including the chain I.

I do not limit my invention to the exact forms shown in the drawings, for obviously changes may be made therein within the scope of the I claim:

1. A chain marker for livestock comprising a chain adapted to encircle the neck or spaced horns of the livestock, an indicia plate suspended by a double hook from said chain, and means on the plate at opposite sides of the hook for limiting the swinging movement of the plate on the chain in the lateral and vertical directions, said limiting means comprising a'shank of substantial length and width extending from the upper edge of the plate and having a perforation; said double hook having one eye engaging a link of the chain and its other eye engaging the perforation in said shank; and a pair of tongues extending from said shank and bent to form eyes offset forwardly of the plane of. the plate and disposed at opposite sides of the perforation and closely adjacent to said other eye of the double hook.

2. For a cattle marker, an indicia plate having a shank of substantial length and width extending from the upper edge of the plate and having a perforation; a double hook having one eye engaging the said perforation in said shank; and a pair of tongues extending from said shank and bent to form eyes offset forwardly of the plane of the plate and disposed at opposite sides of the perforation and closely adjacent to said eye of the double hook.

WILLIAM F. SCHACHT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number Number 1 Number Name Date Saunders Mar. 18, 1919 Wilson Oct. 14, 1919 Lippold Feb. 11, 1936 Rearic Apr. 4, 1939 Schacht Aug. 24, 1943 Stone Oct. 12, 1943 Schacht Mar. 28, 1944 Schacht Apr. 18, 1944 Schacht Aug. 21, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date France Oct. 24, 1914 

